By Abbas Nazil
A teaching hospital in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria, is using a climate-smart orchard as a low-cost solution to rising temperatures that are increasingly affecting patient health and healthcare delivery.
At the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, over 800 trees including papaya, banana, and plantain have been planted across 1.75 hectares to provide shade, reduce heat, and supply affordable fruit to patients and staff.
The initiative, launched in early 2025, is part of a broader response to extreme heat driven by climate change, which doctors say is worsening dehydration and kidney-related illnesses in the region.
Medical experts at the hospital report that heat-related conditions now account for about 30 percent of daily clinic visits, largely due to increased fluid loss caused by higher temperatures.
Average temperatures in Maiduguri have risen significantly over the past decade, with hot season peaks reaching up to 44°C, forcing residents—many of whom work outdoors—to consume more water to stay healthy.
Doctors warn that insufficient hydration is leading to a rise in kidney stones, urinary tract issues, and other complications, with even children increasingly affected.
The situation is made worse by limited access to clean water, particularly for displaced populations, heightening vulnerability to both dehydration and water-borne diseases.
Beyond patient health, extreme heat is also straining hospital operations, increasing energy demand by up to 50 percent during peak periods and causing frequent breakdowns of critical equipment and generators.
Flooding in 2024 further exposed the hospital’s vulnerability, damaging infrastructure and costly medical equipment, underscoring the broader environmental challenges facing the region.
Despite these pressures, hospital leadership sees the orchard as a practical adaptation strategy that not only cools the environment but also improves wellbeing and food access.
Experts say such low-cost, nature-based solutions could play a crucial role in helping vulnerable communities cope with climate change, especially in humanitarian settings where resources are limited.
Globally, extreme heat is emerging as a major but under-recognised threat, particularly in low-income countries where it compounds existing challenges like poverty, poor housing, and weak infrastructure.
Hospital officials remain optimistic that coordinated efforts combining environmental, medical, and infrastructural responses can help mitigate the growing crisis.
